Baz Luhrmann's Elvis movie has hit the big screens today.
The film stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and tells the story of how the “King of Rock and Roll” rose to unprecedented stardom.
Upcoming actress Olivia DeJonge plays Elvis’ ex-wife and the only woman he was ever married to, Priscilla Presley.
While the film documents Elvis’ glittering achievements and rise to fame, there was actually a much more sinister side to the Memphis singer.
When it comes to his love life, Elvis made some controversial decisions within his time and has been accused of being “fascinated” with teenage girls.
In a biography about his relationship with women, author Alanna Nash revealed that Lamar Fike - a former member of Elvis’ entourage, said: “Elvis was fascinated with the idea of teenage girls, which scared the crap out of all of us.”
As the story of his huge fame hits theatres, here’s the reality of his seedy dating history with teenage girls.
How did Elvis meet Priscilla?
The start of Priscilla and Elvis’ relationship is famously controversial because of Priscilla’s young age.
The pair first met in 1959, when Priscilla was just 14 years old.
They were both living in West Germany at the time; 24-year-old Elvis was serving in the army overseas and Priscilla’s stepfather, US Air Force Officer Paul Beaulieu, was also stationed there.
Priscilla was invited to a party at the singer’s home by Elvis’s army buddy Currie Grant.
After meeting, Elvis set his sights on the young teen but Priscilla's parents forbade her from seeing him.
However, the rock and roll singer eventually convinced them to let him get to know their young daughter, and the pair continued to spend time together until Elvis returned to the US in 1960.
Elvis had a girlfriend called Anita Wood when he met Priscilla, and it was reported that when she found out about his relationship with the 14-year-old, he told her Priscilla was “just a child”.
The Express reported that he said: “She’s just a child. She’s just a 14-year-old child, it means absolutely nothing.
“She just wants to visit, it means nothing. And if you told anybody, I’d get in a lot of trouble, she’s so young.”
But in 1962 Priscilla’s parents allowed their 17-year-old daughter to go visit Elvis in the US and the following year she moved to Memphis to be with him - before she’d even graduated from high school.
Pricilla’s parents laid out certain conditions for her move to America. Their rules included that Priscilla would live with Elvis’ parents in a separate home until her graduation from a Catholic high school and that Elvis would eventually marry her.
In 1967 Elvis did marry Priscilla - she was 21 at the time of their wedding and Elvis was 32.
They stayed together for six years before divorcing in 1973 amid many allegations of his infidelity.
Elvis' history of relationships with teenagers
Priscilla wasn’t the only 14-year-old that Elvis was involved with, as the star had a history of dating underage girls.
In his book Elvis Presley: A Southern Life, historian Joel Williamson revealed a darker side to Elvis when he detailed the time he spent with teenagers while touring.
Williamson wrote that on one tour, Elvis had his eyes on a group of three 14-year-old girls who the 22-year-old would pillow fight, tickle, wrestle and kiss.
One of those girls was Frances Forbes, who claims that Elvis didn’t notice her until she was 14.
“When I was 14, he noticed me. Fourteen was a magical age with Elvis. It really was,” she said.
And two years after his divorce from Priscilla, Elvis, who was now close to turning 40, went after another 14-year-old girl - Reeca Smith.
Reeca claims that Elvis did not “take advantage of her” during their six-month relationship but that she did think it was “crazy” because she was so young.
Alanna Nash, author of Baby Let's Play House: Elvis and the Women Who Loved Him, claims that “Elvis loved 14- and 15-year-old girls”.
In her book, she explains: “He was insecure about his sexual prowess and wanted virgins so they wouldn’t have anyone to compare him to as a lover. Adult women scared him. He wanted to mould them and mentor them and they adored him.
“He didn’t seem to worry that a fling with a child could land him in jail.”
